24/7
by Amber6
Summary: Why can't Leo and Piper keep their hands off each other?
1. Part 1

***   
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this fict except the fict itself. The various songs and characters used are not mine.  
  
Setting: Right after 'Just Harried.'  
  
Teaser: Why can't Leo and Piper keep their hands off each other?  
  
***  
  
24/7  
  
by Amber  
  
***  
  
Piper awoke early, the light from the rising sun streaming through her eyelids. She could feel eyes and lips on her lower back before she even opened her eyes. "Leo," she whispered.  
  
"Hey... You're awake!" he murmured in reply, preoccupied somewhat. Then his face was there, leaning against her shoulder, eyes staring deep into hers.  
  
***  
The strands in your eyes that colour them wonderful  
Stop me and steal my breath  
***  
"Hello, Mr Wyatt." she teased, kissing him lightly on the nose. Leo closed his eyes and let her intoxicating scent wash over him, doubting if there was a nicer way to wake up.  
  
***  
She's touch, smell, sight, taste and sound  
***  
"Good morning Mrs Wyatt." he replied, kissing her back, properly. His lips enclosed hers and his hand trailed lightly through her hair, down her neck, to her...  
  
"Leo?" he stopped. "Don't you think we did enough of that last night?" she teased, her face the picture of innocence.  
  
Her husband stopped to face her, bringing her face right up to his. "No, I don't believe we did." He laughed, sweeping her over so she lay beneath him. Piper's eyes, her lips, everything broke into a huge smile as he showered her with kisses. She closed her eyes, feeling each light touch, like a summer shower. His hands, his lips, explored her like it was the first time all over again. She reopened her eyes and stared deep into his, until he forced them shut again by blowing lightly on her face.   
  
***  
She's so high, high above me  
She's so lovely  
She's so high  
***  
"Leo!" she cried, pushing him off playfully. "Right, that's it!" she lunged at him with a pillow in each hand. Leo grabbed two of his own and a pillow fight ensued, until feathers were flying everywhere. A plan unfolded itself in Piper's mind. "Leo," she cried breathlessly,"..wait a minute." Her husband stopped obligingly, and she made as if to pull a feather out of his hair. "Gotcha!" she cried, grabbing the pillow from behind her and belting him around the head.  
  
"Piper!" he yelled, retaliating by pushing his head into her stomach so she lay flat out on the bed, panting.  
  
"I surrender!" she cried, grinning as Leo held a pillow inches from her head.   
  
***  
She's as perfect as she can be  
***  
"Really?" he asked doubtfully. Piper nodded, and he threw himself down beside her. The feathers fluttered above him and fell around them like wings. My angel, she thought, as his face broke out into a grin and he began kissing her from her navel upwards, his peridot eyes never leaving hers. Finally he reached her lips, and....stopped.  
  
"Leo!" Piper moaned, the eyes he loved so much dancing in surprise.  
  
He rolled his eyes jokingly. "Okay, wife, if you insist." He whispered playfully, and before she could yell at him for being cheeky, his mouth was upon hers, their bodies crying out for more. Legs rubbed together, hands found hands and hair and bodies, lips found lips over and over again. "I love you." They whispered in unison. "This is love suicide, you know." Piper murmured as Leo caressed her neck.   
  
"Why?"   
  
"Because Prue and Phoebe are gonna come in at any moment, and......" a kiss stopped her from talking.   
  
"No, they won't. They have got some sense. This is our honeymoon, after all, isn't it?" Piper grinned, realising he was right.  
  
***  
I'll be your crying shoulder  
I'll be love suicide  
I'll be better when I'm older  
I'll be the greatest fan of your life  
***  
"I suppose it is," she rolled them over so he lay on top of her. "Now, what do you want to do today then?" she teased.  
  
Leo answered her in kind, by pulling her towards him and kissing her numerous times until they both needed to draw breath.  
  
"I have a few ideas."  
  
***  
  
Shanna watched them, circling above, her face screwing up as they giggled and cavorted, oblivious to her invisible presence. So in love, she muttered under her breath. You want to be near each other all the time? Want your honeymoon to last forever? Fine. She reached in her pocket and sprinkled a handful of the invisible powder over them.  
  
"Those who have just been joined  
Allow them their greed  
Useless to help  
In times of need!"  
  
Piper suddenly pulled away from Leo, and he stopped kissing her neck. "Did you hear something?" she whispered, trying to listen. Leo stopped and strained to hear anything.  
  
"Only you giggling!" he shouted, and pulled her back to him, feeling even more that he needed to be near her, so much. She gave in willingly, and the two went back into their own world, oblivious to the danger that circled above.   
  
Shanna grinned, her stained rotten teeth gleaming in the light of the room. Foolish, she cackled, before projecting back out of the room. You'll see how much you need to be near each other.  
  
***  
  
A kiss, a touch.... Piper felt like she could never let go. "Leo..." she murmured. "It feels like...." His mouth enclosed hers once again, and bruised though it was she responded.  
  
***  
Your my survival, you're my living proof  
That my love is alive and not dead  
***  
"I know," he whispered in reply. "It feels like, like I need to be near you all the time." He pushed the covers away from them and marvelled at the sight of her, the feel of bare skin touching bare skin. Her scent lured him away from thoughts of trying to stop and Leo pulled Piper to him once more, kissing her neck and trailing his fingers up her spine.  
  
"Leo... I'm so tired ... but.." Piper responded, running her hands through his hair. "I need you to be near me. Leo pulled away a little, seeing she was trying to tell him something. "No, that's too far away..." she cried, despite the fact her husband was only inches away from her.  
  
"I know," he murmured, drinking in the image that lay before him, before leaning down again and smothering her neck with kisses. Their legs tangled together and feet caressed ankles, while hands stroked chests and lips met lips.   
***  
I'll be captivated, I'll hang from your lips  
***  
  
"Never go, will you, Leo?" Piper whispered, running her fingers through his hair. "I need you here....." she looked down at her bare skin, then back into his eyes. "I need you here always."  
  
Leo nodded, understanding her. He began his new ritual of kissing her from head to toe, drinking in her scent, the soft touch of her fingers of his cheek, his forehead..... he gripped her tighter, possessively, and pressed his mouth hard against hers. How long had they been doing this? he wondered. He felt like they needed to go on forever, or he'd lose her, or........... Piper's lips found his again and he forgot all worries. He teased his lips along her jawline, making her wait.  
  
***  
  
Phoebe ran quickly up the stairs, her messenger bag banging lightly against her hip. As she passed Piper's room excited giggles floated and echoed to her outside, and she stopped for a minute. Were they ever gonna stop? she wondered, shrugging. Ah well, as long as they're happy, she mused, humming as she skipped along to her room. It is their honeymoon after all......  
  
***  
  
Shanna laughed as she watched the newly weds across San Francisco in her mind. This was better than she could have ever hoped for. "Yes, that's right." She whispered, focusing her attentions on the witch and her whitelighter. You too ae the most powerful of all. You will provide most energy for me. And then I will be free!" she rose from the old oak chair, the only object in the room. "And then the exhaustion will kill you all!"  
  
***  
  
***  
Just like me you got needs  
And they're only a whisper away  
And we softly surrender  
To these lives we've tendered away  
***  
  
Piper lay back, utterly exhausted. But.. he was too far away....she needed him to be closer.... . She rolled over and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Leo, this is weird... I feel.." She trailed off, too tired to even speak. "I feel too far away from you, but, but you're right here......." Even right beside her, her husband felt too distant, she needed him kissing her, licking her lips, stroking her hair, making love to her. "Please, Leo, it feels like I'm suffocating... You're too far...."  
  
***  
She's blood, flesh and bone  
No tucks or silicone  
***  
Leo knew what she meant, but he was trying to fight against the urge inside him. "Piper, I..." he forced himself to tear his eyes off her. "I think something weird's going on......" But it was too hard, she was so far..... No. "I think this may be magical, we're so tired, but we keep........"  
  
"Making love." Piper finished for him, scared now. Scared still that he'd leave, despite herself, despite knowing he wouldn't. "Leo, what's going on?" her voice trembled. "I feel like I need to be near you all the time, or.... I don't know. But this is too much, this isn't normal, is it?"   
  
***  
The memory of your face - just can't stop thinking  
***  
  
"No," he replied, still facing the ceiling. "This is too strong, desire is turning into possession. And possession is turning into obsession. I heard about this happening, not that it has before, but...." The urge welled up inside him but he desperately quashed it back again. "There's a legend, in the Book. Something about a witch......"  
  
And then it hit him, the horror of what this actually was. "Oh no..." he murmured under his breath. "This is huge, Piper, this is Shan......." he turned to face his wife. She lay, eyes closed, the colour draining from her face rapidly. "Piper!" he yelled, shaking her. "Piper, please!" Her eyes finally flickered open, while Leo's heart pounded in his chest. "Oh god!" he yelled, sweeping her limp form into his arms. "Piper, this is what she does!"  
  
"Leo....." she mumbled. "Leo. I feel so weak ... but I need you here...." Then her eyes closed again. Leo's heart started up again, and he leapt off the bed to grab his long ago flung boxers.   
  
"Prue!" he cried frantically. "Phoebe! Quickly! Someone, anyone!" Piper's two sisters came crashing through the door as he buttoned up his shirt.   
  
"Leo? What's wro..." Prue's voice trailed off as she saw Piper's ghostly form on the bed.   
  
"We have to get he to a hospital. I can orb her there. Look, this is demonic. I need you to look for a witch named Shanna in the book."  
  
"Wha...?" but Phoebe saw how serious her brother in law was being. "Prue, quickly!" she took off up the attic stairs three at a time, with Prue right on her heels. Leo ran over to his wife, wrapped her in a blanket and looked upwards. They both dissolved into the blue lights as quickly as Leo could make them.   
  
***  
  
Leo orbed in at the front of the hospital, not caring who saw. Piper's pulse was getting weaker and he knew he was the reason she was so exhausted. "Please, somebody! Help me!" he shouted loudly, as he ran into the ER. "Please, it's my wife! She needs a doctor!" Suddenly there everyone was, nurses, someone calling himself 'Dr Cruickshank', a gurney, and Piper was being wheeled away ... too far.....   
  
"Please, I need to stay with her!" he cried, running along beside the retreating trolley.  
  
One of the nurses looked up at the doctor as the gurney crashed through the doors to the ICU. "Please," Leo begged. "I used to be a doctor myself."   
  
"Okay, sir, you can stay. But you stand to one side and let us do our job. Your wife is very sick." Leo nodded mutely, his eyes fixed on Piper's, silently begging her to open them.   
  
He rubbed his face over with his hands, disbelieving this had happened. "Piper," he whispered. "Come back to me."  
  
She lay silently as numerous people attached various drips, machines ... a monitor..... the scene played out like a movie before Leo's eyes. Her hair was tousled around her face, her skin was ghostly white, her lips were blue and breaths shallow and irregular. And at that moment in time, Leo knew if she didn't make he would never forgive himself. He sank to the ground and prepared himself for the worst.  
  
***  
  
  
Phoebe belted her way up the stairs, only slowing when she nearly fell. She and Prue practically fell on top of each other as they tore open the attic door and rushed in. Phoebe grabbed the book from its stand and sprawled herself on the floor, leafing through the pages frantically.  
  
"Pheebs, slow down!" her eldest sister cried from behind her. "We'll miss it if you go at that rate!" Phoebe relented and stopped altogether, her resolve breaking. She paused. "You saw her, Prue. You saw her, she looked so pale, Prue. What if this is it?" "What if....." her tiny voice trailed off.   
  
"There's no point in what ifs, Pheebs, not now." Prue stroked her youngest sister's hair. "We have to do the only thing we can right now to help Piper. We have to find out how to destroy Shanna. We have to be strong for Piper."  
  
Phoebe nodded and pulled herself unwillingly from the loving grasp she knew so well. "Okay." she whispered, putting on a brave face. She pulled the heavy book on to her lap and began reading through it, as Prue rested her head on her shoulder and did the same.  
  
***  
When you feel all alone  
And the world has turned its back on you  
Give me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart  
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you  
It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold   
When darkness is upon your door   
And you feel like you can't take anymore  
Let me be the one you call  
***  
***  
Leo watched as the doctors rushed around his wife, drawing blood and attaching various machines and a monitor to her. She lay, like an angel, her skin limp and bare, pale. So pale. Words drifted to him gradually, though never registered. Heart rate...... pulse ... does your wife suffer from diabetes? aids? What blood type is she? He shook his head dumbly and answered the questions he knew the answers to, his eyes never leaving Piper. He felt so helpless as the doctors rushed around, knowing he couldn't heal her, knowing only rest and rehydration could do that. If only it was a cut, or a gash, he could help ... but this, this was out of his reach.   
  
Suddenly the machines started to life, beeping and whirring and screeching. Immediately there was a shout of "Defibrillator!" followed by "Quickly, dammit!". Nurses crowded round and the scene played in slow motion in Leo's mind as CPR began. His legs wouldn't work, wouldn't move, wouldn't allow him to hold her hand.  
  
"Charging at 250." the voice seemed to wake him up, and Leo rushed over, so he could see her. Everyone stood back as the cold steel devices were pushed against her chest, shocking her heart. The machines stopped momentarily and for a second Leo felt joy in his heart. Then they started up again, the beeping and bleeping and screaming of buzzers indicating his wife was dying.   
  
***  
  
"Hurry!" Phoebe cried as she slammed the Cherokee door, spell in hand. She and Prue rushed towards the ER, as the rain lashed down around them. Hand in hand they crashed through the doors, eyes scanning the immediate crowd hurriedly.   
  
"Leo!" Prue yelled, her eyes dancing in worry. "Leo!" She saw the receptionist at the desk and ran over, dragging Phoebe. "Please, I'm looking for my sister, she was brought in a while ago. Piper Halliwell." the receptionist tapped some information into the computer infront of her, and wordlessly indicated to doors labelled Resuscitation. Phoebe grabbed her sister's rain soaked jacket and they both headed to the room, scared of what they might find.  
  
A man ran out the room just as the sisters reached the doors, his arms covered in blood and face frantic. As the doors swung open and shut the wild screaming of machines echoed in the empty hall, and Prue shivered. What if Phoebe was right? What if this was it? They both tore open the doors and scanned the room for Piper.   
  
***  
Leo looked blankly at the doors as they swung open and Prue and Phoebe rushed in. A wave of emotion hit him. They shouldn't have to see their sister like this, with doctors and nurses around her, shouting and crying out for things and massaging her heart. He felt sick just looking at her. How could he have done this? How could she have become exhausted to the point that her heart would no longer work? It felt like a nightmare, and he couldn't move, he couldn't hold her hand, could barely see her even. His heart twisted and turned on itself with each bleep of the machines, and each cry for help.   
  
Arms enclosed his shaking body and he looked down to find two familiar faces, tear stained and blotchy, looking up at him. "I don't know... I can't.. I feel so.." each sentence Leo started seemed too trivial, too selfish.   
  
***  
Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone  
***  
  
Suddenly Leo seemed to find his senses and rushed over to the table. "What's going on?" he demanded, taking Piper's limp hand in his own. He could hear Phoebe's frantic sobbing behind him as the sisters got a clear view of Piper. "Why isn't she waking up?" he could feel tears welling up in his throat, knowing the answer himself before the doctor told him. "Please.." he pleaded, squeezing her hand. "Please, Piper, wake up..." As the nurses held back and the CPR and shocking ceased, Leo felt like his own life was slipping away from him. "Please, she was just tired...." his dragged his eyes off Piper for a minute to look at each of the faces in the room, each pitiful and telling a truth he didn't want told. "You have to, you have to..." Leo took the shocking pads in his own hands, blinded by his tears.  
  
Reassuring hands wrapped round his shoulders and dragged him away, and Leo collapsed to the ground sobbing. The three hung on to each other as the dreaded words came.  
  
"Time of death, 20:54."  
  
*** 


	2. Part 2

***  
Because there has always been heartache and pain  
When it's over you'll breathe again  
You'll breathe again  
  
When you feel all alone   
And the world has turned it's back on you   
Give me a moment please  
To tame your wild wild heart  
***  
  
Dear Piper,  
  
I can't do this any longer, can't keep living this life which I hate. It is killing me, waking up every morning, knowing you won't be there beside me, knowing that I can't lean over and stroke your hair until you wake up, or sneak downstairs to make coffee for us before you wake. Your sisters are okay, because they have each other. But I can't talk to them, knowing it was me who did this to you, knowing if I wasn't here you would be. My heart left when you left, and I will only be whole again if I am with you. It hurts too much to live each day, to know when I come home it is no longer home because you are not here. We were one, and the only way I can be whole again is by doing this. By doing what I have to do so we are together again.   
  
We'll meet again so soon my love  
I'll love you forever  
Leo  
  
***  
  
Dear Phoebe,  
  
I am so sorry to do this to you. You know I love you like a sister, and I know this will hurt you the most. I'm so sorry to have not been able to save Piper for you, and I know that me leaving too will only hurt you more. But I have to do this, I can't live without her, knowing I have infinity to grieve but never to find again. Live your life as Piper would have wanted, and look after Prue. The Power of Two is still alive. I know we'll see each other again one day.  
  
Love Leo  
  
***  
  
Dear Prue,   
  
I think you have suspected this was coming, even if you didn't want to admit it to yourself. Don't blame yourself for this, because it is in no way anyone's fault, least of all yours or Phoebe's. This is something I had to do for me, for me and Piper. I know you know more than anyone how hard it is to lose someone you love as much as I love Piper. I am only amazed at your strength. If your love for Andy was only a fraction of mine for Piper, I do not know how you have coped. This is the only way I can stop the constant ache in my heart, the torment and torture I feel every day. It is killing me inside, I love her too much to ever express but I know this is the only way for us to be together. Please look after Phoebe, look after each other, and continue with the extraordinary good you do.  
  
Love Leo  
  
***  
  
Leo sealed the last envelope, and wrote 'Prue' on it, placing it beside the other two on the mantle. He picked up the vial of liquid that sat beside them, and swallowed the lump in his throat. "I'm coming Piper" he whispered as he felt the poison seep down his throat. Stumbling, he fell hard against the bed head and crashed to the floor. As he stared at the smiling faces from their wedding photo, his eyes flickered slowly shut and his heart ceased to beat. The world had suddenly changed, and no one even knew.   
  
***  
The old picture on the shelf  
Well it's been there for a while  
A frozen image of ourselves  
We are acting like a child  
Innocent and in a trance  
A dance that lasted for a while  
***  
3027  
  
"Woah!" Her groceries came crashing to the floor as she rounded the corner. "Oh no..." she surveyed the damage. Oranges rolled into the road. Milk flowed down the sidewalk. "I don't need this..." she murmured as she bent down to gather the remains of her shopping. A voice spoke from high above.   
  
"Oh, jeez, I'm so sorry." It lowered itself and Piper found herself staring into the eyes of perhaps the most gorgeous man in Los Angeles. "I wasn't looking...." He attempted to pick up a carton of juice, but failed until he finally tore his eyes off her. Leo glanced at his watch. Damn meeting! "Look, I've really got to run, I'm sorry, this is so....." She cut him off.  
  
Piper cleared her throat. "It's okay, really. My fault."  
  
"No, it wasn't, really. Look.." the stranger reached inside his jacket pocket and brought out a piece of card, scribbling quickly on the back. Here's my address and phone number..." Leo handed her the note. "Call me tonight, send me a bill, whatever." There was something about him, something........familiar? Piper couldn't quite put her finger on it. Without realising what she was saying, she blurted out what she had been thinking.  
  
"How about you take me out to dinner to...uh.... make it up?" She blushed a deep red, the words sinking in. "Oh, god, I'm sorry, I don't know why I......" Piper looked up at his tall frame and glanced down at the card.   
  
Leo grinned. "I'd love too, um, ...."  
  
"Piper." she smiled back. He stared long and hard into her chestnut eyes. "Here's my card...." she fumbled about in her bag. Finally she pulled out a very squashed, torn and battered card. Leo looked at it. "You're a chef?" he asked. She nodded shyly.   
  
"Uh, yeah, just opened my own restaurant actually....."  
  
"Well that's perfect!" Leo exclaimed. "Let me buy you dinner there tonight." He couldn't explain this...... connection? he felt. The meeting! He could hear them calling. He pulled himself out of this trance. "I'm sorry..." he mumbled hesitantly, looking at his watch. "I really have to..." he started to back away from her, not wanting to.  
  
"It's okay. I understand." She picked up the one remaining bag of shopping. "Meet me there tonight at 8. It's in the phone book."  
  
Leo dragged his eyes off her. They were calling again. Shut up! "What's it called?" he cried after Piper, as she retreated, walking backwards so to get another glimpse of him.  
  
"Melinda's."   
***  
  
The soft piano music floated though the air, filling the room. Couples at two seater tables chatted comfortably, their hands intertwined and faces close enough for breath to warm each other. Food was forgotten, plates pushed aside and waiters passed by unnoticed. Piper smiled, watching the serenity of the room. The atmosphere was calm, tranquil. Leaning against the bar, surveying the room, she felt completely out of place. Her stomach was doing somersaults as she tugged selfconciously at the hem of her dress. Looking down at the knee length burgundy dress, butterflies in her stomach multiplied. Was this too dressy? Not dressy enough? Was this a date to Leo? Was she simply a way to fill an otherwise empty evening?  
  
Suddenly there was no time left to worry, as the head waiter came up behind her and whispered that he had arrived in her ear. Attempting to swallow the nervous feelings, she whirled around from the bar to face the door. In a gorgeous black suit with his blonde hair spiked up with gel, he took her breath away.  
  
***  
  
He hurriedly walked down the street, checking his watch every five seconds. What if it had stopped? What if he was late? What if there was more than one Melinda's in Los Angeles? Was this suit too casual, too formal? The nervous questions drummed through his head with every heart beat. He rounded the corner and then suddenly there it was, Melinda's, in front of him. Immediately Leo was impressed. This looked like a popular joint. He felt his shirt pocket self consciously. Was this enough money? He hadn't been on a date in three years, had prices changed? His frantic worrying was halted by the door opening.   
  
"Good evening, sir. Table for one is it?" the friendly balding gentleman at the front desk asked.  
  
"Um, no, I'm meeting someone. Piper.... Piper Hall? She owns this place?" The man nodded.   
  
"Of course, I'll just tell her you're here." the man gestured for Leo to step more fully into the restaurant. His stomach flipped. Was this a date? Was that what she had implied, or had it been his imagination? He cleared his throat and glanced around the room. It was packed, though didn't look overly full. The atmosphere was pleasant and immediately calmed him. There she was, leaning against the small bar, fiddling nervously with her hair and dress. He was captivated and this was only the back of her. The head waiter whispered in her ear and she hesitantly turned around to face the door. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as her hair swished lightly around her shoulders, those beautiful eyes caught the light, her dark red dress sparkled in the nearby candlelight. With her make up perfect and captivating smile, she took his breath away.  
  
***  
  
"It was not!" she cried, teasing him. Piper's voice echoed through the now empty restaurant. She smiled at the young waiter as he swept up their empty plates with one swift action.   
  
"Oh yes it was!" he retorted. "You bumped into me, I don't know why I'm even paying for this meal in fact." He joked, and her whole face lit up in mock disbelief.   
  
"Well, since neither of us were looking where we were going, it was both our fault, and you've repaid me more than enough by this lovely evening. So..... " Piper grabbed his hand as he reached for his wallet. "It's on the house." She nodded to the waiter who had brought the bill and he picked it up again. "I'll settle it up later." she whispered, and he hurried away.  
  
"Piper, you can't...." Leo stopped as his hand tingled. Her hand rested lightly in his, comfortably.   
  
"Oh, sorry!" she cried as she noticed the direction of his gaze. She tried to pull her hand free, but he grasped it lightly in his own and stared deeply into her beautiful eyes.   
  
"Don't be." Silently asking to go one step further, Leo leant forward over the table until he could feel her breath mixing with his own. He closed his eyes and breathed in that scent that had held him captivated for over four hours. Their lips teased each other, bare millimetres apart. Leo opened his eyes once more and his met hers, just as their lips found each other and fused.  
  
Passions welled up, emotions overcame each other, a perfection sought was found. He pulled her closer, the inches between their bodies too much even, and hands net cheeks and stroked hair and shoulders. Shivers ran down Piper's spine as his lips found hers once more. They could have been kissing forever for all she knew, for all of eternity. Tingles ran though her body and she lightly rested her hand on his cheek so he couldn't pull away.   
  
A comfortable silence was found when they finally parted. No embarrassed grins or eyes on the ceiling. Brown eyes met green and hands intertwined. "Well," Leo began. "I've never been quite so happy I bumped into someone." Piper smiled and pushed her hair back over her shoulder.  
  
"I couldn't agree more. Especially as it was you who bumped into me." her eyes danced playfully.   
  
"Was not!"  
  
***  
  
Months passed and the two became inseparable. Leo met Piper in her lunch break, took her out to dinner every Friday, woke her up at four in the morning so they could watch the sunrise. Each day spent it felt more right, and the only thing between them now was Leo's secret. How could he tell her when everything was so perfect? How could he ruin it? Would she even believe him or just think he was crazy? The questions rolled over and over in his mind until finally The Elders called him one day as he and Piper packed up their picnic basket in the park opposite Melinda's. He looked momentarily towards the heavens and knew it was urgent. Now for the ploy again, pretending he had a meeting, looking at his watch. She as ever was fine with him rushing off and her kind face only wanted Leo to tell them to sod off and leave him be. But as Leo leaned in to kiss here once more, their calls became more urgent.  
  
He bid her goodbye and promised to call later in the day. Once safely round a corner he orbed away, the blue lights lingering, watching her walk across the park, hamper in hand.  
***  
Leo stormed through the pearled doors, full of rage. They had promised him the time off, they had granted him that. Who were they to determine when that leave ended? Who were they to interrupt him?  
  
"Mr Watts."  
  
"Don't you 'Mr.Watts me!" he cried. "You promised me three months leave. God, you can't even stick to simple promises now!" He was furious.  
  
"I assure you, Leo, there is a very good reason and if you perhaps listened to us, you would understand." They all sat before him, in a circle around him, all ten of them. The Elders. His bosses. He relented.  
  
"Fine." he muttered, sitting down too. He shrugged off his jacket.  
  
"It has been brought to our attention that you have been seeing a mortal on Earth."  
  
"Yes, that's right, so what? Since when were there rules about that too?" The elder he was facing shook his head slightly, indicating that was not the problem.  
  
"You have heard of the ancient prophecy of The Charmed Ones." Another stated. Leo nodded, intrigued now. What did this have to do with anything?  
  
"They were formed over a century ago!" he cried, confused.  
  
"Indeed, the sisters known as the Charmed Ones did pass away at the latest a century ago. However.." the man cleared his throat. "there has been a development, one that was not foreseen, one that was not told in legends. The Charmed Ones have now evolved into the Charmed One."  
  
"There's one witch out there?" With all those powers?"  
  
"Well, not yet. She has not yet been granted her powers. Her mother will pass away in three day's time. This is irreversible. Only then will she be granted her powers. We want you to be the one to train her."  
  
Now Leo was excited. This was huge. A witch? With all those powers? She would be a wonder to train, to watch grow stronger. "Well, where is she?" he asked, his face lighting up.  
  
"Los Angeles." And suddenly he understood.  
  
***  
***  
Hold on to your love,  
but don't hold on too tight.  
And death is just a word we use to counter life.  
We blame it on the dove,  
when we cannot be free.  
We curse the stars above and say the rosary.  
So take her by the hand,  
tell her truths and lies,  
and love her while you can, before she learns to fly.  
***  
  
"Oh...... oh my god!!!" A horrified scream filled the room. Her heart thudded, the pressure was too intense.  
  
"I'm so sorry, Miss Hall, we did everything we could, but her injuries were too severe." Piper's screams echoed through the room, hating the nurse, hating the words, hating herself for having survived the accident. "Your mother was in no pain."  
  
"What do you know?" Piper roared, standing. "She was in pain, of course she was in pain."  
  
"I can assure you, Miss Hall......" The look the young intern received from Piper was enough to quiet him. "Would you like to see her?"  
  
Piper sat back down, her back slamming against the wooden chair. Oblivious to any more pain, she shook her head dumbly. How could....how could she be dead? How could this happen? Just this morning.... The mere memory of her mother smiling was enough for Piper to break down in tears. She buried her face in her hands, the tears spilling from a place inside herself she didn't know existed. The grief and disbelief welled up inside her released themselves as more tears, and she sobbed herself slowly to sleep, her dreams filled with too many memories for her conscious to handle.  
  
***  
And for the million hours that we were  
Well I'll smile and remember it all  
Then I'll turn and go  
While your story's completed mine is a long way from done  
***  
  
"Piper." he shook her softly and whispered again in her ear. "Piper." She stirred slowly and one red rimmed eye opened gradually, as the light and the pain and the grief flooded back in and filled her very soul.  
  
"Leo," she sobbed. "She's gone, Leo, she's gone."  
  
"I know. Ssshhhh." He held her tightly in his arms, cursing himself for not disobeying the Elders and saving Piper's mother. She could barely deal with this, let alone what he was about to tell her. He hated them, he hated himself, he hated fate. He drew breath in slowly, not wanting the next few minutes to happen. Not wanting to turn her world upside down, not wanting to tell her what he had to.  
  
"Piper." he lightly pulled her up, letting go of her slightly. "Piper, I have to talk to you. It's important."  
  
"I can't let them have her organs, Leo.... Please, don't let them."  
  
"It's not about that." he whispered, not wanting to break the kind of silence that had surrounded them. "It's... it's about your mom." How could he explain this? Would she even understand? "Piper, your mom was special." He tried to explain it simply to start with, and she nodded reassuringly up to the point he mentioned witchcraft. Her face suddenly grew dark and she drew sharply away from him.  
  
"What are you talking about, Leo?" she questioned him hesitantly. "Mom was a witch? Is that what you're trying to tell me? Leo, I ..... I don't understand. Why are you doing this now?"  
  
Because they made me. He wanted to shout it, shout at them, shout at anyone but her. Her eyes searched his for an answer, and he knew he had reached the point of no return.  
  
"Piper ... your mom ..... was a witch, yes." He watched her carefully, unsure if this was registering. "But..... different from your average witch. She had powers, magical powers. Piper nodded, still unsure but willing to let him continue. She lay in his arms and looked up at him.   
  
"Okay."  
  
"She fought...... things." He couldn't bring himself to say it, to open her innocent eyes up to a world in which she didn't belong. She belonged right here in his arms, not fighting creatures of the night.  
  
"Things?" Somehow she believed him. Leo had never lied to her, and she saw no reason for him to do so now.  
  
He nodded. "Demons and warlocks." It sounded pathetic, like a bad children's story book. Demons and warlocks. He'd been fighting them for three years and it sounded stupid to him.   
  
"What?" she stood up sharply. Leo continued, trying to explain himself.  
  
"For centuries, women in your family have fought the underworld. They have conquered and fallen and lost and grieved. Since the start of your line, they have all had special powers. Powers to help them fight the evil. You..... you have powers, Piper."  
  
"Leo, what are you speaking about?" She was getting angry now and backed away from him. Where was Leo, to hold her and comfort her and hold her hand as she grieved for her mother? "What powers? I don't have any powers. Mom didn't have any powers. Don't you think I would have noticed?" The anger welled up inside her more. Who was he to do this is to her now? Was this some kind of sick joke? She flailed her arms out to the side, anger winning over grief. "Go away!" she cried, as a lamp to her left exploded and crashed noisily to the floor, breaking the dusky silence.  
  
Her eyes widened in shock, fixed on the lamp on the floor, dancing between her hand, still outstretched, and the broken lamp. She attempted to open her mouth, attempted to speak, to form any words at all. Speechless, her eyes settled finally on Leo. He nodded, confirming her worst fears.   
  
"I.... I did that?" she whispered quietly. He made no movement, but those green eyes said it all. She shook her head, backing away from him, away from this new life she didn't want to know. "No..... no no no no......" and then his arms were around her, and all she saw was him, all she needed was him. He allowed him to take her back to the room, back to the chairs. But they both knew that things would never be the same again. Questions ran through both their minds, each one adding ten more. Each one more frightening than the last.  
  
How does he know all this? Who is he really? Does he love me? What am I what are we what is he? What does this mean? Why did mom never tell me? Despite the multiple questions about Leo, she clung on tightly to his flannel shirt and sobbed her tears into him.  
  
Will she be okay? Will she ever trust me again? What does this mean for her, for us? What do I tell her next? Will she cope? His grasp on her tightened, not wanting it to be her, not wanting to let her loose to a world she didn't know or understand. He wanted her here forever, safe in his arms, not fighting a demon three times the size of her in a darkened alley. He pressed a kiss into her hair and let her scent wash over him.  
  
***  
Won't you sing to me your poetry  
Won't you take me to your home  
Won't you be for me forever  
So I'll never be alone  
***  
  
Days passed and with them the necessary funeral arrangements made. Her eyes no longer met his, their comforting shine was now that of tears and not happiness. The day of the funeral arrived and she shrugged herself out of his hold, only allowing his arm around her shoulders as the coffin was lowered slowly into the ground and earth scattered upon it marking the eternal resting place. Tears welled up in her throat and overcame her, a torrent spilling over her cheeks, her grasp on his shirt tightening.  
  
The wake was private and only a few family friends attended. Seeing the state Piper was in, they bid their farewells quickly, and offered their condolences to Leo before quietly departing. Finally, Leo thought, as the last of the kindly women left, her mascara running. However nice they were as people, Piper needed to be alone now, to have grieving time, to come to terms with a huge change in her life, and not just that she was motherless. He wandered slowly back into the living room at the back of the grand old house, where she sat, crumpled on the smaller sofa, face hidden behind layers of hands and blanket and woe. He leaned against the doorframe, not wanting to go any further, not wanting to test her before he knew her strength.  
  
"Piper, do you want to know who I am?"  
  
A movement, a twitch. Recognition. She nodded. If he could only answer that question, she'd feel better. Her tear stained face peeked out from behind the layers, eyes red rimmed and heart thundering. She wanted to hear the truth, she didn't ... two trains of thought collided and met head on. The former won. A whispered reply.   
  
"Yes."  
  
Leo walked over and sat in the chair opposite hers, so their eyes met and truth could be recognised. "I swear, I knew nothing of this when I met you that first time. I had no idea who you really were." His eyes told the truth, she searched them for an answer. I'd never lie to you, they whispered. She gave her silent consent for him to continue.  
  
"I'm a ...... a whitelighter." There, he'd said it. Half the battle was complete. He continued, knowing the point of no return was far behind them, a mere speck on the horizon and growing smaller with every breath. "I guide witches."  
  
Piper goggled. "You guide me?" Leo nodded.  
  
"You.... you are the most powerful witch to ever live. To demons, you are the bounty. The prize. But now you are at your most vulnerable. They know that. I need you to let me train you, you need to perfect your powers."  
  
She stood up, her arms flying up beside her face. "What powers? Leo, I don't have powers! I'm just an ordinary...." Suddenly Leo stopped moving. She looked around. The cars outside had stopped. The birds in the sky flew, but were motionless, halted. Had she ... stopped time? Was that possible?  
  
"Leo...." she walked over to him, waving her hand in front of his eyes. "Leo!" she cried more desperately, shaking him, tugging at his shirt and jacket. Then, suddenly, as if he was in a trance, he unfroze and looked straight at her.  
  
"You froze me." he told her simply. "Piper, I know this is strange. I've seen this a thousand times before. You think I'm joking, or lying, or just a sick person who wants to screw you around and make you think you're crazy. I'm not. This is real."  
  
Piper nodded, believing him, believing what his words. "Okay, so what? What do we do now?"  
  
Leo smiled despite himself and brushed his lips against hers, loving their softness, loving the feel of her next to him  
  
"Now? Now we train."  
  
***  
You read my eyes just like your diary  
Oh remember, please remember  
Well, I'm not a beggar, but what's more  
If I hurt you, then I hate myself, don't wanna hurt you  
Why do you chew your pain?  
If only you knew how much I love you  
***  



	3. Part 3

***  
Though she's your little girl, she is not a child anymore.  
Her heart and mind are strong,  
she wants to make a change.  
No one's in the wrong, no need to rearrange.  
Her love is always there,  
a simple state of mind.  
So join her if you care -- the truth is in her eyes.  
The truth is in her eyes, in her eyes.  
***  
The months passed, and with them training levels increased. Together Piper and Leo discovered her three primary powers - telekinesis, freezing and premonitions. Together they trained and worked harder, pushing the boundaries of her powers and testing her to her limits. Demons came and were fought bravely and defeated, the two of them side by side, he shouting moves when needed, she following her heart. The Book of Shadows long ago discovered, it's thickness read from cover to cover, each page carefully studied, each word absorbed momentarily. They fought together, trained together, slept in the same bed at night. The Elders assigned him to her only, reallocating all his other charges, their focus very much on this new witch, and seeing how powerful she really was. Impressed, they allowed her to handle new things, new challenges, and allowed Leo to spend even more time with her. He all but moved into the grand old house her mother had left her, with all his earthly belongings scattered around, and he spent every minute he possibly could there.   
  
***  
  
Where do you want this?" he asked, sifting through the debris of the latest attack. She shrugged.   
"Well, it used to sit on top of that..." she pointed to the antique oak dresser, once a beautifully carved piece, now a wreck of splintered wood and demon blood, scattered across the living room, shattered into a thousand pieces.  
He grinned. He loved how she could pick herself up right after an attack, not fret over it or worry about the next one. "Here?" he indicated to a spot on top on the mantelpiece.   
"Sure, that'll be fine. It doesn't matter anyway, we'll be attacked again in a few days time anyway. And then that foul thing will be broken." Her face broke out into a grin as Leo surveyed the stained glass vase in his hand, his twinkling eyes playful.  
  
"I actually really like this." he commented quietly in the most serious tone he could muster, looking her straight in the eyes. She cracked a smile and giggled, not knowing whether to believe him or not. His eyes told a different story to the rest of his face and she ran over to him, throwing up feathers in the air from a burst cushion. Her eyes smiled.  
  
"Liar!" she cried, running from him. Leo looked from her retreating form to the vase in his hand and back again.   
  
"Oh...... fuck it!" he yelled, giving up the pretence and letting the vase fall from his hand, hearing the ear piercing crash and feeling the shards of glass flick against his jeans. He ran after her, up the stairs, down the stairs, their excited cries filling the otherwise empty house and echoing off the walls and ceilings. A rush of adrenaline crept through her as the pounding of his feet grew closer, and she could practically feel his hot breath on her neck. She screamed wildly and threw herself in a torrent down on the nearest sofa, as he, in just socks, skidded further down the hall, until finally a loud crash came.  
  
"Leo?" she leapt up, rounding the corner separating them in one easy dash. Her heart thundered loudly in her chest. He lay, unconscious, amidst a pile of books and heavy ornaments, a large bump forming on his head. She fell to her knees, collapsing beside him. "Leo!" she cried frantically, feeling for a pulse. Just as she closed her eyes to try and focus better, a hand landed swiftly around the back of her neck, and the next thing she knew her lips were being pressed against his, their sweet softness filling her. Her eyes remained closed until they both finally drew away, gasping for breath.  
  
He looked at her long and hard, the playfulness gone from his eyes, their sparkling green now showing another, more serious side, one that loved Piper too much for any amount of words to convey. He sat up, wordlessly taking her hand in his own. Piper recognised his change of mood and her own matched it. She nodded for him to continue.  
  
"Piper..... I know how hard this has been for you. And you've been so fantastic, and you listened to me through it all. You're still listening." Leo's eyes shone as he gazed at her, his carefully planned speech momentarily halted. "You've worked so hard, and you've never doubted that what I told you, but just...you've just done it without question." He lovingly stroked her cheek. "I know it hurt you so much when you first found out. I hurt you. And I never wanted to do that. I love you with all my heart, and....I......" he fumbled in his pocket until his hand emerged clutching a small red velvet box. Piper gasped. Leo looked back at her, opened the box and knelt gently on his knee before her.   
  
"Piper...... would you marry me?" She heard the words as if in a dream, their very presence in her life too unbelievable to comprehend. She looked from the beautiful diamond studded ring to his shining, grinning eyes, and back again. After what seemed like a lifetime, she finally blurted out the answer she knew she'd give all along.  
  
"Yes," Both their faces broke into the hugest grins they could ever have smiled, and the adrenaline going round Piper's body caused her heart to beat faster and her eyes to twinkle as tears formed. Leo kissed her lightly as he slipped the ring on her finger. Piper wrapped her arms around his neck and let the tears fall.  
  
"Thankyou." she whispered. "Thankyou for everything."  
  
Leo felt as if his very being would split in two. Surely one person couldn't handle this much happiness. His arms around Piper tightened, and whispered simply in her ear.  
  
"No, thankyou."  
  
***  
You and I together 'til we die   
We dream of a place that we used to know  
But cannot go with you girl in this  
Everchanging world living loving learning  
You is all I have to know  
All I have to know  
  
***  
***  
  
The days flowed by, no demons attacked, and Leo and Piper lay basking in each other and their newly found happiness. Each day he rose earlier than she, and would run downstairs to make them coffee before she woke, so she would finally do so to his hot breath on her neck and the smell of coffee wafting through the room. In their own haven, they heard nothing of the whispers of The Elders, heard nothing of their plans or concerns. They were oblivious to the dangers that lay ahead of them, and as bride and groom made the final arrangements of flowers and guests and corsages, their happiness blanked them off to ever suspecting all was not right.  
  
***  
  
The day finally arrived, a warm saturday in August, as the first golden leaves fell from the trees and the sidewalks became a flourish of reds and browns and goldens, the green of spring and summer gone. He woke early and snuck out, leaving her wrapped in her own dreams which would come true in mere hours. Just as he rounded the corner to the florists, where he planned to pick up rose petals, they called him. In the early morning no one else was around, so as the sun crept out from behind the only cloud in the sky, the blue lights enveloped him and the sidewalk was empty once again.  
  
He orbed into the now less familiar environment of the Elders sanctuary, as the ten men sat uncomfortably, waiting for someone else to start to tell the young whitelighter.  
  
"Well?" Leo asked, growing impatient. "This is my wedding day, you know."  
  
A man to his left spoke unexpectedly. Ten faces all turned towards him.   
"Yes, we know, Leo. We know only too well." Leo paused. He knew that tone. Something was wrong. Of course something was wrong. He was angry. This was supposed to be Piper's day, Piper and his day. The anger boiled up inside him and released itself as shouting at the very people he knew he should be listening to.  
  
"Can't you just let us have one day? Can't we just have our day, our one normal day, where there are no demons, no fretting, just me and her and your blessing?" he yelled, gesturing wildly with his hands, looking at each face wildly, taking none of them in. "What is it? A demon? A warlock? Some evil that's indestructible? Tell me, and I'll do it myself. Don't involve her, she doesn't deserve this. Not on her wedding day." his speech broke off and he gasped for breath.  
  
"We would, Leo, but....." the Elder trailed off, looking to his counterparts to continue. Finally the one who spoke first did.  
  
"This is a curse on the pair of you. Well, a curse of sorts. There is a witch, Shanna......" Leo interrupted him.  
  
"In the book? Yeah, we saw that. The witch of desire..."  
  
"Not anymore, Leo. Yes, she used to be a good witch. She used to be like an Earthly cupid, matching up couples. Yet when she lost her own love to another, she turned. Joined the other side, breaking up couples, killing them through exhaustion on their wedding nights. Finally in 1980 a good witch managed to trap her underground, thereby supposedly preventing her from hurting any others. However she learnt the power of a sort of astral projection, she could still curse couples and cause exhaustion."  
  
"What...what does this have to do with me and Piper?" The Elder who had spoken swallowed visibly, and Leo became more anxious. "Just tell me, you're wasting time!"  
  
"You and Piper are the reincarnated forms of a Charmed one and her whitelighter." Waiting to see Leo's reaction, the Elder pursed his lips. "Piper Halliwell was the first Charmed One to pass away. She did so on her wedding night."  
  
Suddenly it dawned on Leo what was happening. He shook his head, refusing to believe it. "No....." he whispered, the image of his beloved sleeping sweetly in their bed running through his mind.  
  
"The only way Shanna can ever create enough energy to set herself free" The Elder continued, "is for her to curse a witch and a whitelighter on their wedding night." This combination had never happened before Piper Halliwell and Leo Wyatt in 2001. She didn't succeed then because Leo and Piper of that time stopped making love after Piper passed out, and his love for her was stronger than the desire he had been cursed to feel. It has never happened again since, until..."  
  
"Until now." Leo finished for him.   
  
Piper Halliwell. Piper Hall.  
  
Leo Wyatt. Leo Watts.  
  
Suddenly it all made sense. Why he bumped into Piper that day, why he felt such a connection - they had known each other before. In another lifetime.   
  
"So.. what? We don't get married? We wait? We prevent it somehow?"  
  
"Those are only temporary solutions. You and Piper are destined to always end up together, you as a whitelighter and her as a witch. You will always marry and in one lifetime, she will be set free, to reap havoc on the world and turn the reproduction cycle upside down. Life will cease to exist, and evil will rule, because evil cannot love. We need the chain to stop, when we've told you, when you know what to do, not in a lifetime where we may not exist."  
  
"Well, what do we do? How do we kill her? Vanquish her?" Leo was becoming exasperated.   
  
"There is only one way to vanquish her. It involves making the ultimate sacrifice for love. Or the ultimate sacrifice of love."  
  
"What is it? I'll do anything. Please, just tell me so Piper and I can live out our life in as much peace as possible."  
  
The Elders glanced at each other, the walls, anywhere but Leo. Finally one spoke up.  
  
"You have to kill each other."  
  
***  
Somewhere deep inside me  
I hold a picture of a time long gone  
A time of ease and simple pleasures  
And days in shadows not so long  
Now with my mind I'm struggling  
Holding on to what I believe  
Listen to the fragments of my thoughts  
That leave me broken and deceived  
  
***   
Leo couldn't believe what he was hearing, but their words penetrated his very soul and he knew he had heard the man correctly. He gasped, trying to form a response of any kind, but the blow of what had been said prevented him from doing so. His mind whirled and desperately tried to process and think rationally. More words spun around as the man spoke again, trying to explain himself.  
  
"Shanna thrives on newly weds, and their lust and love for each other. She thrives on their complete trust in each other and disbelief that anything could go wrong. Newly weds thrive on the same things. If you and Piper....." Leo's heart clapped faster against his chest. "...were to act as normal newly weds, she would be yours for the taking, one or both of you would die, as in your last life together. However, if you break that bond of loyalty and trust by doing the one thing she never expects you to do, the repercussions of that act backfire on her and she is vanquished."  
  
Leo tried to pinch himself, desperately hoping it to be a dream, but reopened his eyes to find that it wasn't, and there he still stood, as the ten men looked guiltily at him, each trying to think of something to say. "Wouldn't that break our bond of love?" he whispered finally, his mind processing the information and trying to make sense of it.  
  
"No, Leo, it would only strengthen it. You would have died for the greater good, and so sealed yourselves a place forever in eternity, living each life together as you are meant to. The pain you would got though in this one would be vastly overshadowed by the happiness the lifetimes to come would give you. But if you don't go through with this now, your future lifetimes will be filled sadness and grief, as each time Shanna will destroy one or both of you." the old man paused, taking deep breaths. "You have been a wonderful whitelighter Leo, and we are so sorry to have to ask you to do this, but it is the only way to break the curse, to vanquish her."  
  
"You're sure?" Leo began to think logically, and tried to block out his heart's screams to say no to this horrid idea. The cries prevailed slightly as the same man answered him;  
  
"Yes."  
  
"How would we come back? As a witch and eventually a whitelighter? Will we remember this?"  
  
"Piper will always return as a witch, and you will return as a man who will become a whitelighter, yes. This is your destiny, Leo. In past lifetimes Elders tried to force you apart, as it was not known then. But you two are fated to spent eternity with each other, and with each lifetime she will become stronger and more powereful as a witch. Neither of you will remember this day,or remember your past together, just look forward to a new found happiness that you would find with each new meeting. It is the only way, Leo."  
  
The young whitelighter nodded, finally understanding their reasons for asking him to do such a horrid thing. His stomach still turned at the thought of it, but he bid them farewell and orbed back down for a final time to try and explain to Piper why she would have to shoot her new husband in the head as he did the same to her.  
  
***  
Whe you feel all alone   
And the world has turned it's back on you  
Give me a moment please  
To tame your wild wild heart  
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you  
It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold  
  
***  
  
The tears fell, the denials screamed, the questions of surely isn't there another way asked and his head shook somberly, her tears matching his exactly. They both promised each other they couldn't do it, and wouldn't, each knowing in their heads it was the only way. Leo explained what they had told him, about past lives, future lives, the present life. Her heart screamed no, her brain whispered yes, knowing it was the only solution.   
  
She got dressed for her wedding, the gown now seeming so unimportant, the carefully chosen hairstyle done to perfection only for him. He stepped into his tuxedo, the corsage seeming pointless, his hair gelled perfectly, only for her. They met wordlessly and said their vows quickly and quietly, each seeing only the other, with only the priest and two winesses in the room. Never had either of them meant the words more.  
  
"Piper, through all the tears and struggles, I always knew in my heart that we'd make it here. I promise to love and respect you from this point forward, as your husband, as my wife, my lover, my friend and my soulmate. All I am is yours."  
  
The tears streamed down Piper's face as her vows were spoken, as much in sadness as in happiness. "Leo, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me. I was afraid that you were too good to be true, that maybe I didn't deserve someone so pure and beautiful and loving as you are. Yet here we are, and I feel so proud and so blessed to be your wife. Leo, I was born to love you, and I always will." The lump in her throat grew until she could hardly contain her fears at how quickly the minutes were slipping by, and she took Leo's hand in her own as the priest pronounced them husband and wife. His lips and tears found hers, and neighbours secretly wondered why he was crying too. But in their own world a first and last kiss was shared as husband and wife, lips softly pressed against each other, tears merging. With his arms around her he orbed them up to their bedroom, where two identical guns lay with a note of apology on the bed. The tears rushed down Piper's cheeks, as she kissed Leo's lips a final time.  
  
***  
In her hidden prison, Shanna smiled as the witch and the whitelighter appeared in the bedroom, kissing as if there was no tomorrow. She closed her eyes, chuckling to herself. This time I'll be free, you foolish lovers. Out of practice, it took several moments but finally, she managed to project herself into the bedroom. Why was the bride crying so much? Wasn't she happy? Shanna didn't care as she took the powder form her pocket once more, feeling their love consume her nearly. Oh yes, this time I'll be free.  
  
"Those who have just been joined  
Allow them their greed  
Useless to help  
In times of need!"  
  
Leo felt the change go through his body, his desire mutiplied a thousand times over. "Piper, she's started it. We need to do this now." the tears spilled freely over his cheeks as her eyes searched his for a better solution. He had none, his heart cried for her, cried for them, cried for there to be a better way. Hesitantly he picked up the guns and laid one in her hand. "Please. Think of all the futures we'll have."  
  
Piper shook her head, the desire she felt nothing in comparison to the grief which flooded her heart. "Leo, I can't. I won't. I love you......" A shiver ran up her spine, and she felt like vomiting. The cold metal laid in her hand, and bile rose in her mouth at the mere thought of it. His eyes held a weakness that his body didn't show, as tears of hate of life flowed from them. He stroked her cheek once more, it's every pore memerised for eternity, each other's every imperfection found and known. He drew her to him, and they shared one last hug as husband and wife, their unstoppable grief engulfing them both.   
  
Each held the gun to the other's head, their eyes never leaing each other. Vows of love were whispered in unison.   
  
"I love you more than I love anything."  
  
"I love you more than I love life."  
  
"On three." Leo whispered, hating everything he had ever known except her.   
  
"1......" A first sight. Oranges rolling into the road, milk spilling down the sidewalk. Eyes meeting. A shy grin. An accepted invitaion.  
  
"2......" A first night spent in each other's arms, every inch explored lovingly, hair stroked, lips and necks and stomachs caressed with kisses. A cry breaking the silence of night. A first declaration of love.  
  
"3......" A proposal accepted, a love admitted, soulmates together once again. Perfection found, only to be torn from them once more.  
  
Triggers were squeezed, eyes met, bullets sped through the millimetres of air seperating barrel from skull. A last word was formed. "Soon." she mouthed, before their faces contorted, bullets ripping through their heads, memories severed, eyes closed, breathing halted abruptly and hearts stopped immediately. Guns clattered to the floor. Bodies fell slowly, in each other's arms, to the ground, heads rolled back as blood poured from identical wounds, matting hair, reddening the wooden floor. A double tragedy was declared. The question of why asked a thousand times. Buried together, a community was in mourning for months to come. In heaven two souls met momentarily.  
  
"We did it, Piper. We've got eternity together. She's gone, never to return." a whisper echoed through the empty room. Lights smiled at each other, brown smiled at green.   
They danced together, nonexisatnt arms imagined, the two needed only each other. Leo looked towards the heavens. "I have to go."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"We'll see each other soon, Piper." A kiss, but not a kiss goodbye. A kiss for eternity.  
  
***  
  
Baby, dance with me slow  
Let me fly with you  
While the band plays low  
Till the night is through  
  
The lights of the candles  
Look like stars around the room  
I'll try to be careful  
But I know I'm not immune  
'Cause I just can't imagine  
How I'd ever come to harm  
With this feeling that I'm feeling  
As I'm drowning in your arms  
  
***  
  
3050  
  
Piper sat in her neatly arranged office, paperwork stacked in piles, pen tapping lightly of the edge of the desk. Her restaurant Melinda's was due to open that night, and she still hadn't found a head barman. "Thankyou, Sam." she told the young man sitting in front of her. He wasn't suitable for the job, but she would keep his references for any future positions as a waiter. That he had experience in. "We'll get back to you." The young man rose form his seat and shook her hand earnestly, smiling shyly. "Oh, and could you please send the next person in?" she smiled back as he left the room.  
  
Sam's file passed over to her left, she glanced momentarily at the next resume. Twenty - two years old, previous bar work, good references... her train of thought was interrupted as a knock broke the silence of the office. Her eyes glanced up, and met his. Brown met green, her heart leapt unexpectedly. "Leo Wyatt." she managed, despite barely noticing his name on his CV.  
  
"Leo, I'm Piper."  
  
"Yeah. I knew that." he replied, shaking her hand. Fireworks shot through them both as their skin touched, and in her heart Piper knew she'd hire him.  
  
Brown met green, he saw her, she held him captivated.  
  
Employer met employee, she saw him, he took her breath away.  
  
For eternity lasts forver, and dance of true love knows no lifetimes and no bounds.  
  
***  
Baby, dance with me slow  
Till we barely move  
Let that crowd rock and roll  
While we share this groove  
  
And float like two shadows  
In and out and in between  
Those faces around us  
At the edges of this dream  
And it won't even matter  
If they stare as we go by  
I'm aware of only your love  
In this world of you and I  
  
Baby, dance with me slow  
Let me fly with you  
Let me fly with you  
  
***  
The End  



End file.
